Ruler.



Patented Sept. 5, I899.

J. T. GLAS COCK.

R U L E B (Application filed Aug. a1, 1599.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN T. GLASOOOK, OF HOPKINSVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RU LER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,258, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed August 31, 1898. Serial No. 689,941. (No model.)

.single or double lines in a book or on sheets of paper whereby single and double red lines for bookkeeping and other purposes may. be quickly drawn at the desired intervals.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which will be positive and reliable in its inking operation and which may be quickly adjusted to arrange it for ruling either a double or single line.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a ruler constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the sliding ruling device, the same being inverted to illustrate the arrangement of the ruling-wheel. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the ruler.

Like numerals of reference designate corre sponding parts in all the figures of the drawmgs. a

1 designates a ruler proper, designed to be constructed of any suitable material-such as wood, gutta-pereha, or the like-and provided with a centrally-arranged longitudinal guide 2, consisting of a rib or bar having a rounded outer face and receiving a tubular slide 3. The tubular slide 3, whichis adapted to move longitudinally of the rounded guide, embraces the same and is adapted to be rocked thereon to provide a fulcrum for a lever 4, which carries the marking device and which is adapted to be operated to engage the same with the paper to be" ruled and to v lift it therefrom. The rear portion of the lever forms a handle and is provided with a weight 5, adapted to hold the marking device normally out of contact with the paper by maintaining itin an elevated position, so that the rule may be placed in position or moved over the surface of a page without liability of smearing the same with ink. The front portion of the lever is bent to form a clip 6, which embraces an ink-reservoir 7, and the latter is provided with shoulders 8, located at opposite sides of the clip and holding the reservoir against longitudinal movement independently of the lever. The shoulders 8 may be formed by exterior ribs or bya groove or any other suitable means, and the clip is open at the bottom to permit a marking or ruling wheel 10 to operate, as hereinafter described. The reservoir, which is preferably cylindrical, has a limited rotary movement for the purpose of tilting or canting the marking-wheel 10, so that one of its edges or flanges 11 may be made to strike the paper for ruling a single line. The edges or flanges 11 are formed by a groove and the markingwheel may be arranged with both of its flanges or edges square upon the paper or with only one of them, accordingly as it is desired to rule a single or a double line.

The reservoir is provided at its bottom with a slot 12, through which the upper portion of the marking-wheel projects, and it has depending ears or bearings 13 at opposite sides of the slot to receive an axle or shaft 14, upon which the wheel is mounted, and the said shaft or axle is provided at its outer end with a head, by means of which it may be readily raised and lowered to effect an adjustment of the marking-wheel. The outer portion of the shaft or axle is arranged in a substantially vertical slot 16 of a depending arm or extension of the clip, and this slot 16 permits a limited upward and downward movement of the shaft or axle. When the shaft or axle is at the top of the slot, the marking-wheel will be slightly canted or tilted, so that one of its edges or flanges will be lifted out of contact with the paper, and the device will be adapted for ruling single lines. By lowering the shaft or axle to the bottom of the groove both edges or flanges of the markingwheel will be arranged to engage the paper squarely and rule a double line. At the inner side of the arm or extension of the clip is arranged a spring 18, which when the shaft is lowered is adapted to engage the same above the center and which when the shaft is elevated to the top of the slot is adapted to bear against the shaft below the center, whereby the marking-wheel will be retained in either adjustment.

The ruler is provided at its ends with suitable stops 19 to retain the'marking device on the guide, and it is provided at its front edge with short horizontal projections 20, which have their outer ends arranged with relation to the marking-wheel, so as to form a guide or gage for indicating the point at which a line will be ruled, thereby enabling the device to be readily positioned for ruling a line at any desired point on a page or sheet.

The reservoir, which is provided at one end with a removable cap 21, may have any suitable form of inking device for feeding ink to the marking-wheel, but it is preferable to provide a cylinder 22, of wood or other suitable material, with a slot 23, which is covered with felt 24E, arranged in the form of a sleeve and fitted on the outside of the cylinder. The interior of the cylinder is provided with suitable absorbent material 25, which is saturated with the ink. 13 y this construction the reservoir is adapted to contain a supply of ink and is capable of feeding the same to the marking-wheel in a positive manner, and there will be no liability of the ink accidentally leaking from the reservoir and soiling paper or other articles.

The invention has the following advantages: The device, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, is positive and reliable in operation and easily manipulated to rule either a single or double line, and when it is not in use the marking device is automatically elevated above the plane of the lower face of the ruler, so that there is no liability of it coming in contact with paper or other articles, and the ruler may be moved back and forth over a page without liability of smearing the same.

I desire it to be understood that I may make various changes in the form and arrangement, such as employing a spring instead of the weight to hold the marking device elevated or changing the form of the guide and the manner of fulcruming the lever or varying the construction of the interior of the reservoir, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is 1. A device of the class described comprising a ruler, a lever fulcrumed on and adapted to slide longitudinally of the ruler, a marking device on the lever provided with a reservoir and having a pair of marking edges, said marking device being capable of adjustment independent of the lever, whereby one orboth of its edges may be brought into contact with the paper to rule either a double or a single line, and means for adjusting the marking device, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a ruler, of a reservoir slidingly mounted thereon and adapted to be raised and lowered, and a marking-wheel provided with parallel edges or flanges and having a limited movement independent of its support, whereby it is adapted to be tilted or canted independently of the reservoir to bring its entire periphery flat against a sheet of paper or only one edge or flange in contact with the same to rule either'a single or double line, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, a marking-Wheel provided with parallel edges or flanges and having a limited movement independent of its support, whereby it may be tilted or canted to bring its entire periphery flat against a sheet of paper or only one edge or flange in contact with the same to rule either a single or double line, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a ruler having a longitudinal guide, a lever provided between its ends with a slide mounted on the guide and forming a fulcrum, a marking device arranged at one side of the ruler and mounted on the lever and having a limited movement independent thereof, whereby it is capable of adjustment for ruling one or more lines, and a weight or handle located at the opposite side of the ruler and carried by the lever to hold the marking device normally elevated and to prevent the hands of the operator from coming in contact with the ink, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a ruler, a lever sliclingly mounted on and hingedly connected with the same and provided with a clip, a reservoir mounted within the clip and having a limited movement therein independent of the lever, and a marking device connected with and carried by the lever in its adjustment, substantially as described.

6. Adevice of the class described comprising a ruler, a lever slidingly mounted on the same and provided with a clip, a reservoir held by the clip and having a limited rotary movement therein independent of the lever, and a marking-wheel connected with the reservoir and carried by the same in the said rotary movement, substantially as described.

a slotted extension, a reservoirarranged within the clip and having alimited rotary movement on the same, a shaft or axle mounted on the reservoir and arranged in the slot of the said extension, and a marking-wheel mounted on the shaft or axle, substantially as described.

9. A device of the class described compris- -in g a marking-Wheel, a slotted reservoir, a cylwheel carried by the shaft and adapted to be tilted by the same to bring only one of its edges in contact with the paper, and a spring mounted on the extension and engaging the shaft for holding the same in either position, substantially as described.

11. A device of the class described comprising a ruler, a reservoir slidingly connected with the ruler and provided with a slot, a marking-wheel extending into the slot, a slotted cylinder fitted within the reservoir and provided with a fabric covering engaging the wheel, and means for feeding ink to the fabric covering, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. GLASCOCK.

iVitnesses:

A. W. BECKER, D. \V. BOWER, Jr. 

